Former Daytona Beach official to pay beating victim $14K

DAYTONA BEACH -- A former city building official who pleaded no contest to brutally beating a 46-year-old man during Biketoberfest must pay his victim almost $14,000 now, and more later.

Circuit Court Judge Joseph Will ordered Mark Criswell to pay David Summers $13,744.60 toward his travel expenses and the cost of his care. Criswell was sentenced to four years of drug probation after pleading guilty to felony battery for beating Summers at the Iron Gate bar on Main Street on Oct. 15. Criswell was also ordered into alcohol treatment.

Will said in his order that Summers, 46, "received a brutal beating at the hands of the defendant," and "multiple areas of his face, soft tissue, and the bony structure of his face were damaged severely."

Summers has said he has ongoing physical and psychological problems after the beating and is seeking medical care for both.

He also said Criswell was drunk when he approached him and asked him to turn the music down.

Summers, a liquor company representative, was working the soundboard during an event. He said Criswell flashed his building official card before the beating.

After the October incident, Criswell was immediately placed on paid administrative leave from his $87,289-a-year position as director of Permits and Licensing. City officials started an internal investigation -- separate from the criminal investigation done by police -- but the query was suspended after Criswell resigned later that month.

Summers is also suing the city of Daytona Beach and Criswell for damages, alleging among other things that the city should have known that Criswell could be involved in such an incident.

In his order, Will said the court may order more restitution for up to a year because all of Summers' expenses are not tallied yet because he is receiving ongoing treatment.

Summers has bitterly criticized the State Attorney's Office for what he felt was a light sentence for Criswell, who had prior violent offenses.

Messages left for Criswell's defense attorney, J. David Kerce, and Brett Hartley, Summers' lawyer, were not returned Wednesday.

-- The type of plea by Mark Criswell was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.